PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has ordered authorities to take steps for the inclusion of the rehabilitation of drug addicts in the Sehat Card health insurance programme.

Chairing the first meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Anti-Narcotics here on Thursday, the chief minister directed relevant officials to prepare a case for the purpose and present it to the cabinet for approval, saying the initiative will ensure a more effective and organised rehabilitation process.

The meeting decided to accelerate action against drug addiction and directed police to launch a massive crackdown on drug dealers across the province, according to an official statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

It also decided that police officers, who failed to take effective action against drug traffickers, would be removed from their positions.

CM orders massive crackdown on drug dealers across the province

“A special meeting of the task force will be held in the next 15 days to review the progress on anti-narcotics operations and assess the crackdown in all districts.”

The participants raised concerns about poppy cultivation in certain areas of the province on which a committee was formed to persuade poppy farmers to switch to alternative crops. They said the government would provide seeds for alternative crops to encourage farmers to abandon poppy cultivation.

The meeting decided to institutionalise the whole process of rehabilitation; responsibilities of various departments and institutions in the rehabilitation process would be clearly defined, and a comprehensive plan would be submitted to the provincial cabinet for final approval.

“There will be no leniency or forgiveness for those who push people into drug addiction and ruin their lives,” Mr Gandapur said.

He emphasised on maximum actions against drug manufacturers, dealers and traffickers.

The chief minister also appreciated the ongoing rehabilitation programme of the drug addicts in Peshawar and said that drug addicts from other districts should be shifted to rehabilitation centres in Peshawar.

He also ordered special measures for the rehabilitation of drug addicts kept in prisoners.

Briefing the meeting about progress so far made under the Drug-Free Peshawar campaign, officials said three heroin-mixing factories were destroyed in Peshawar by the excise department.

They also revealed the destruction of poppy cultivation on 200 kanals of land in Khyber district, 112 kanals in Mohmand, 45 kanals in Swabi and 13 kanals in Mansehra.

The officials said 1,141kg of various narcotics worth Rs2 billion were seized and burnt.

They said from June 2024 to date, the excise department confiscated 2,952kg of hashish, 105kg of heroin, 157kg of opium, 37kg of crystal meth (ice drug) and 248 litres of liquor, while 238 individuals involved in narcotics business were arrested in the same period.

The officials said special anti-narcotics awareness campaigns were held in educational institutions, yielding positive results, while narcotics control committees were established in every university.

They said that the third phase of the Drug-Free Peshawar campaign was under way, targeting the rehabilitation of 2,000 drug addicts.

The officials said the first two phases of the campaign successfully rehabilitated 2,400 drug addicts.

Highlighting the performance of the Anti-Narcotics Force, the officials said that the conviction rate for drug offenders in the last year was 81 per cent.

They also said 242 Pakistani nationals and six foreigners were arrested for drug smuggling by ANF in the province last year.

Cabinet members Mian Khaliqueur Rehman, Faisal Khan Tarakai and Syed Qasim Ali Shah, the chief secretary, and senior officials of ANF, police and other departments attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2025